SLABY & ASSOCIATES NEWS

By choosing a good location for a business, the owner can increase his or her chances of success. Choosing the right site requires extensive research and careful thought to make an informed decision. While an office location may not be a crucial factor in all sectors, for restaurants, retailers, and other companies, location choice is important. Here, business owners can get a few great tips on what to look for and ask about when searching for a new location.

Consider Area and Customer Demographics

Getting good demographic info is one of the most vital steps in selecting a business location. It takes some research, but there are numerous ways to find the right info. Beyond reading a city’s census data, business owners should look for detailed demographics on the area’s people. With location analysis, owners can get information on potential customers’ lifestyles and the area’s traffic patterns. Additionally, owners should consider events, shopping centers, schools, and other traffic generators that may draw people to the area.

Check the Location’s Accessibility

When business owners are considering locating to a busy area, it’s important to ensure that the chosen location has enough parking for employees and customers. Consider the number and size of deliveries the company may receive. This alongside the ease with which delivery trucks can get to and from the location. After all, even the best location is useless if there’s no place to park!

Assess Proximity to Competitors

Many of today’s business owners choose to open locations near their biggest competitors. Here, the company may benefit from comparison shoppers, overflow traffic, the competitor’s marketing efforts, and the fact that the competitor is an established business where people are accustomed to shopping for certain products.

Being near a competitor only works if the new company has a great business model, such as higher-quality services or lower prices. This helps ensure that the company can draw customers away from its competitor. If the company lacks a definitive edge, it may be advisable to look for a location in another area.

Consider Traffic Generation Factors

There are numerous factors to consider regarding the level of foot traffic a business may generate. If a retailer is considering a location in a mall, the owner should think about whether they can get a space near the food court, a major entry point, or a central area. Owners should also consider the surrounding businesses for employees’ sake, thinking about nearby shops, daycare centers, schools, fitness centers, and more. Finally, look for complementary companies. For instance, locating a home goods store next to a furniture seller may be a great idea.

Evaluate Operational Costs

Consider the cost of renting space, as well as operating expenses like insurance, custodial services, parking, and utilities. Retail and office spaces that include utilities in the monthly rent amount may offer substantial savings over lower-priced sites that don’t include utilities. It’s a good idea to think about whether renovations are a requirement to get the space ready for the business.

Opening a new location is an exciting prospect for many business owners. It is a decision that should not be made lightly. By making the above considerations, company owners can find locations that suit their business type, needs, and budget.

Slaby & Associates is built on over 20 years of commercial construction experience. Seeing problems with other firms, Dean Slaby took his construction knowledge and built a brokerage firm to facilitate clients from beginning to end. From finding the perfect property to lease or construct on, Slaby & Associates is able to help. Contact them today.

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Productivity is a crucial part of a successful business. The more productive workers are, the more the bottom line benefits. However, since many employees are crammed into small offices with poor lighting, cheap furniture, and inconsiderate coworkers, productivity suffers in many cases. Below are several tips, both psychological and physical, to help small business owners increase productivity.

Regulate Indoor Temps

Workers have a variety of environmental complaints, but indoor temperatures are one of the most common. Everyone has unique biology, and there will always be a few workers who are uncomfortable no matter the setting on the thermostat. When evaluating an office space, ask the current owner or landlord about the building’s HVAC system. Things that include vent placement, thermostat location, and temperature control capabilities. If the office is already established and employees are complaining about the temperature, supervisors should consider installing heat-blocking curtains or shades to mitigate rising temps. Alternatively, bosses can rearrange employees’ workspaces so they’re not in too-hot or too-cold spots.

Increase Natural and Indirect Lighting

If possible, offices should have natural lighting. Fluorescent lighting isn’t healthy, especially when sitting under it for eight hours per day. New types of lighting options mimic natural lighting. Employees should, where practical, have the option to light their cubicles, offices, or workspaces with soothing indirect lighting.

Think About Physical Comfort

In most places, employees spend a great deal of time sitting at desks and staring at computer screens. Ensuring that chairs, desks, and computer workstations are designed with comfort in mind can help keep workers healthy, happy, and productive. Poorly designed furniture can lead to more worker’s compensation claims, and other health issues can also affect productivity.

Restore Employees’ Privacy

While the mid-90s saw a significant increase in the prevalence of open-plan offices, in efforts to increase collaboration and cooperation, recent research has proven that open offices are counterproductive in many cases. Based on the nature of the office space, it may not be practical to provide every employee with a separate room. However, what’s important is to have areas and workspaces that allow employees enough privacy to focus. Dedicated work areas cut down on distractions, no matter what they may be.

Get Rid of the Clutter

As a small- to medium-sized business owner, it’s possible for one to find themselves outgrowing their office spaces rather quickly. Cramped quarters can lead to messes around the office, with extra supplies and equipment cluttering up common areas. In some instances, employees may even have to share their workspaces with all this extra stuff! Increase employee comfort and productivity by minimizing clutter where possible. If it’s necessary, consider renting a storage unit until the move is complete or the owner can afford a larger office. When a business only has a few employees, ensuring that everyone is performing to their full potential will allow the business owner to maximize the investment in those workers’ time, skills, and talents.

There are many steps office managers and business owners can take to make employees happier, healthier and more productive. By following these tips, everyone can enjoy a better and more efficient workday.

Slaby & Associates is built on over 20 years of commercial construction experience. Seeing problems with other firms, Dean Slaby took his construction knowledge and built a brokerage firm to facilitate clients from beginning to end. From finding the perfect property to lease or construct on, Slaby & Associates is able to help. Contact them today.

Leasing Commercial Space

New businesses often start at a kitchen table. After an entrepreneur begins to have success, they have to make a decision about whether to continue to run the business from home or lease a commercial space. Although working from home has some benefits, it also has significant drawbacks. Before renting an office or retail space, it’s important to learn everything there is to know about commercial leases. While a great location is important, the contents of the lease agreement can have a huge impact on the success of a new or expanding business.

The most important thing for any new business owner to know is that, unlike residential leases, commercial leases are negotiated agreements between the two parties. They are complex documents and usually have several addendums. Landlords expect their tenants to negotiate, so it’s essential to have a list of requests prior to the first meeting with the property manager. A broker or real estate lawyer may help an entrepreneur negotiate a lease that protects their interests.

Leasing Commercial office space can give a new business owner the opportunity to work without distractions. There could potentially be a lot of expenses that accompany this convenience. In addition to the monthly rental fee, a business might also be responsible for utilities, maintenance, and cleaning charges for the common areas of the building. Nearly everything on a commercial lease is negotiable. Business owners who need a more reasonable monthly payment might be able to negotiate by extending the term of their lease with increased rental costs each year.

Business owners should wait for the property manager to present a lease agreement rather than present their own initially. This allows the prospective tenant to go over each line of the contract and suggest changes. A real estate lawyer could be very useful at this stage of the process. It’s very important for an entrepreneur to understand and agree to every aspect of the documents prior to Leasing Commercial Space. By insisting on things like the right to renew the lease and the ability to sublet the space and exclusivity, tenants can get a lot of value from their commercial lease.

Come sit down with Slaby & Associates and we’ll get you situated in an office that’s just right for you.

Commercial property can help diversify a real estate portfolio. Investors who own mostly single-family houses and smaller apartment buildings are always at risk of losing money while units are vacant. Many people rent for the convenience of being able to move after their lease expires. With the term of most residential leases only being one year or less, too many transient tenants can cause a landlord to have to spend a lot of time marketing.

Lease terms for commercial property tend to be much longer. Many commercial tenants sign leases for five years or more. A commercial lease could also be structured so the tenant handles most of the maintenance. With long-term tenants and not much work to do to maintain the property, commercial investing seems to be the ideal opportunity for a real estate buyer. However, there are some things anyone interested in getting into this market should know before attempting to buy a piece of property.

Banks require a larger down payment than they do for a residential property. Investors should expect to need to have at least 30 percent as a down payment.

Commercial real estate is leased based on the usable square footage plus a portion of the rentable square footage. Knowing these figures can help an investor decide whether or not to buy commercial property in Madison, Wisconsin.

The income potential in commercial real estate is much higher than with residential property. Investors can expect to earn between 6 and 12 percent per year as opposed to the 1 to 4 percent earnings on a residential property.

It isn’t always necessary to have the 30 to 35 percent down payment to buy commercial property. The trick is to find a property owner who is motivated to sell and enter into a master lease agreement with them. This type of arrangement allows an investor to have total control of the property while paying the deed holder an agreed-upon monthly amount. The master lease agreement will state the selling price of the property, and the buyer will have the option to purchase the property for that price within the specified time frame. This poses a significant advantage for savvy investors who are able to boost the value of the property before they finalize the sale.

Before investing in commercial real estate, it’s important that potential buyers talk to current tenants and nearby business owners about the state of their businesses. A property might be a bad investment if the turnover in the area is unusually high or if the business owners are seeing losses instead of profits. It’s also important to talk to a lawyer who focuses on commercial real estate before entering into any agreements. This due diligence can help a new investor avoid purchasing a property without significant income potential.

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